Using the quoting tool
The Beams quoting tool is in the dashboard. Add lines for labour and materials separately, scaffolding as its own line, lead flashings broken out where relevant. Submit when ready.
Submit quotes through the Beams quoting tool in your dashboard. The article describes the structure that customers compare cleanly.
Steps
- Open the project in your dashboard. The quoting tool is in the project's quote section.
- Add scope lines. Each line is one element of the project — strip-out, structural work, first-fix electrical, plumbing, plastering, tiling, painting, etc. Be specific.
- Split labour and materials per line. The tool has columns for both. Customers compare these separately when comparing quotes.
- Add prelims, scaffolding, and lead flashings as their own lines. Customers like to see them broken out rather than bundled into other lines.
- Provisional sums where the scope isn't yet specific. Mark them clearly as provisional. Pin them to a sensible figure based on your experience of similar projects.
- Programme. Enter a proposed start date and an overall timeline. That's all the tool asks for at quote stage. If you want to share a fuller programme — phases, sequencing, lead times — add it in the notes.
- Notes column. Each line has a builder-notes column for any assumption, exclusion, or caveat that needs flagging.
- Value Added Tax (VAT). Add VAT separately to your line totals if you're VAT-registered. Beams's milestone values are exclusive of VAT.
- Submit. Once the customer reviews and accepts, the platform generates the Home Improvement Contract (HIC) from the quote.
Submitting a PDF quote instead
If your business already produces detailed PDF quotes, you can attach one alongside the Beams template. The Beams template still needs to be completed so customers can compare quotes line-by-line on the platform — the PDF acts as the fuller version a customer can download or share with anyone else they want to involve.
What customers see
Customers compare quotes side by side. The structure of your quote — clear scope, line-by-line cost breakdown, labour and materials split, provisional sums flagged — is part of how they evaluate.
What customers want to see in your quote
Beyond getting the structure right, the things that win quotes — beyond price — are usually:
- Speed. Submit well within the four-working-day deadline. The timestamp is visible; quoting earlier than required is part of the impression.
- Provisional sums set sensibly. Realistic figures rather than placeholder numbers that will obviously move up.
- Structured site notes and photos that flow into the quote. A system for capturing what you saw shows in the document.
- Reference your site-visit conversation. Specifics from the visit — the bay-window detail they flagged, the kitchen layout you discussed — show you listened and remembered.
- Plain English on trade-offs and feasibility. Customers value proactive expertise expressed simply.
Across the network, the majority of customers don't pick the lowest price. The price floor is set by your business; the quote-to-win bar is set by everything else.
Editing after submission
You can edit a quote after submission while it's awaiting customer decision. Once the customer accepts, the quote becomes the basis of the HIC and changes go through the change-order process.
Related articles
- How quoting works on Beams
- Top tips for making an impact on site visits